THE YOUNG MAN sat on the cold damp grass, his elbows resting on his knees and fiddling with his fingers. He took in a breath and let it out, the vapor being visible in the cold environment.
He was in front of the same headstone. The marker of the person he'd come to visit once a week. It was a rather chilly day as he sported his usual coat, pants, and beanie combo for the late November weather.
The cemetery was also pretty lonely. Y/N was one of the few who didn't mind the cold weather and was still out and about. He reached over to the side and picked up the bright purple anemones he'd always bring them.
"I tried going out there again..." Y/N began. "It's been tough lately. I haven't been out there in about a couple of weeks. People are starting to wonder...where Spider-Man is."
The man inhaled through his nose deeply. He fiddled with the flowers in his hands and kept looking at them. He continued.
"I guess you could say...I'm scared. I'm afraid that it will happen again...to someone else. One slip up and someone will know who I am and—"
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He choked up and wasn't able to finish. Y/N shut his eyes and sat there for a moment in silence.
"I don't know what to think anymore. It's like both sides of my life cause problems for people around me. Y/N....Spider-Man. It doesn't matter."
Y/N looked up at the gravestone again. He nodded and lowered his head, once more looking at the flowers.
"But...it's something I can't change. That's what's in the cards for me. It's my destiny. We—"
He paused, touching the petals of the flowers rather gently. The words from that fateful day resurfaced and lingered in his head.
"We are who we choose to be...and who I chose is who I am...and always will be."
• • FIVE MONTHS EARLIER • •
NORMAN OSBORN WAS called into the conference room by the board of directors of Kingsley Corporation. He had been speaking with them regarding a matter...about Roderick.
"We've had internal conversations about Mr. Kingsley recently..." Balkan spoke.
"Regarding?" Norman asked.
Another director, Fargas, chimed in.
"We know about his experiments...ones you have helped him on. We're now starting to believe that it's a fruitless endeavor."
"But we really think this will cause a breakthrough. We've seen how this city deals with these...powered and technologically advanced beings. We want to supply the proper authorities—"
